I’ve been wanting to post Olga Rising for months now, and my photos just don’t do it justice, so I’ll give you a basic look at it if you haven’t been there yet, and you’ll have to see the rest for yourself.
This place used to be Vance’s jewelry shop. Fiona and Ed Stone transformed it into a beyond-charming little coffee, sandwiches, and goodies place in the heart of Eastsound (next to the Co-op; not in the hamlet of Olga) that has a wonderful feel to it. They are pros at doing this kind of thing – taking a place that already had its own elements of charm and raising the charm and wonder exponentially.
Here is what Fiona wrote on an Instagram post:
Everything changes with time. Our island is definitely in the midst of change that has us sailing through these unusual times. We feel it’s important to not stray too far away from what brought us all here to Orcas in the first place. We came here or were called here to this island because we wanted/needed something different from the mainland.
When Eddie and I were high school sweethearts (here on Orcas forever ago), I worked at a coffee house in Eastsound. The owners were exceptional people, and the community came together and enjoyed each other’s company while enjoying all the coffee aromas. We all felt connected despite our differences. I often thought of wanting to create something that evoked the same environment and created that sense of community that made you feel like you were tucked into a small island harbor filled with good people. Thirty years later, I finally started to voice this out loud (be careful when you do that!), and that is when the wind filled the sails of this old and once forgotten dream.
It has taken Eddie and I years of commitment, dedication, and hard work to be able to open the doors of Olga Rising, formerly known as Shinola, the jewelry shop in Eastsound. It has to do with island legends passing their torch, family roots that are stronger than I could have imagined, and a big dream in a small town. But looking back at this journey we embarked upon, we have realized we accomplished something tremendous. While engrossed in the project and conscientiously working away, we froze a piece of Eastsound (just one lot with a soul as deep as our waters), that now has been removed from the accelerated development of what our little sleepy town has been experiencing. We breathed new life and purpose into something that was destined to disappear. We met purpose and preservation with a dream.
Go in Olga Rising. Look up at the ceiling. Drool over the homemade goodies. Take in all the thoughtful accents that have been put in this small, cozy space to make it feel so inviting. Look behind the counter at the awesome glass window. Sit outside under the plum trees, or cozy up with your friends on the patio bench.
We chose to go there just recently for my son’s birthday morning treat before walking over to church.
Great job, Stone family!
